Safety appliance for air-brake systems



June 17, 1930. -w. B. SMITH ETAL SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR BRAKE SYSTEIIS gwlnntozs z' 2. 7: 14K fizflammans, J 1?- Nu ZIe 72s.

I Filed Feb. 15,

Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER B. SMITH, WILLIAM M. HAMMONS, AND JOHN B. MULLENS, OF CORBIN, KENTUCKY SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR-BRAKE SYSTEMS Application filed February 15, 1930. Serial No. 428,694.

This invention relates to certain improvestances any push or pull upon the rod 13 will ments upon the application of lValter B. cause the rotation of the valve 11 in one di- Smith and lVilliam M. Hammons on safety rection or the other and this will cause the brake appliance for railway trains, filed 011 venting of the train pipe. A vent valve 11 the twenty-first day of September, 1929, in with its arm 12 and the rod 13 with the fork 55 which mechanism was shown whereby the 15 may be used at both ends of a car and over train line pipe of an air brake system could one wheel or more so thatif either one of the be vented to thus apply the brakes immediwheels or one of the trucks leaves the track, ately and automatically when the train went the lever connected to the fork embracing the off the track, this present invention showing wheel will push or pull the valve open, allow- 0 an improvement over the construction which 111g a1r to escape from the train line and apwas shown in this prior application by the plying the brakes. provision of means engaging over the rim of Any lateral movement of the wheel 0r Of a car wheel, which is so constructed that if the truck carrying the wheel will, therefore,

- the wheel to which it is applied leaves the cause the immediate application of the rail, the device will open the vent valve, allirakes. lVe do not wish to be limited to the lowing air to escape from the train line and particular form of valve used, nor do we wish apply the brakes, thus preventing bad wrecks to be limited to the particular means of conand damage to the equipment. necting this valve to the fork 15 as it will 29 Our invention is illustrated 1n the accombe obvious that many diiferent connecting 7o panyino' drawing, wherein:- means might be used without departing Figure 1 is an underside plan view of a from the spirit of the invention as defined railway car track showing our improvement in the appended claims. applied thereto. The lever 13 will be supported on the I 25 Figure 2 is an elevation of one of the car frame of the car, but we do not Wish to be wheels, the vent valve and the valve actuatlimited to any particular means for supporting mechanism. ing this lever or rod 13.

Figure 3 is a section of the vent valve. It is to be understood that we do not wish Referring to these drawings, A designates to be confined to any certain place of engage- 0 the frame of a car, B the wheels thereof supment'between the connecting fork 15 and the 0 ported in the usual bearings and mounted wheel B as the connecting fork may be enupon the usual axles and C designates the gaged with the wheel at a number of diftrain line pipe of the air brake system which ferent points as found suitable. Our invenif vented applies the brakes. We have shown tion is designed to be used on all freight cars,

5 this train line pipe as being provided with passenger coaches and locomotives,'but under '35 a valve casing 10 having therein an oscillatthese circumstances, of course, different conable valve 11 normally disposed so as to nections will have to be made to thetrain prevent any venting ofthe pipe and so conllnes as all train lines are not located in the structed that when the valve is turned in same place, nor are they equipped in exactly 40 either direction, the valve will be opened to the same manner. Therefore, it. is obvious vent the train line and apply the brakes. To that the connections to the tram line might this end the valve 11 has a stem to which is be modified in many wavs without departing connected an arm 12. This arm 12 is con from the spirit of the invention as defined in nected to a rod 13 passing through an'eye the appended claims.

45 carried by a support 14 depending from the We cla1m: car frame, this rod 13 adjacent its extremity 1. The combination with a car havlng a extending over the top of the car Wheel B truck, a car wheeland an air brake system and being provided with the two depending 1ncludrng a train pipe, of a valve for venting lugs 15 disposed on each side of the wheel. 7 the train pipe upon a movement of the valve 50 It will be obvious that under these circumfrom a normal trainplpe closing position in either direction to a venting position, and means embracing the wheel and operatively connected tothe valve to cause the valve to shift to its venting position when the wheel moves laterally in either direction, said means being mounted upon the car and being independent of the truck or wheel.

2. In a car having a body, a truck and a wheel and an air brake system including a train pipe, of a vent valve disposed in the train pipe, and movable in either direction from a closed to a venting position, and means for automatically opening said valve when the 'wheel leaves the rail comprising a fork embracing the wheel and supported upon the car body independently of the wheel and truck and operatively connected to the valve.

3. In a car having a body, a truck and a wheel and having an air brake system including a vent pipe, a valve normally closing the vent pipe but shiftable in either direction to vent the train line, the valve having a handle and disposed inward of the car wheel, and a rigid rod connected to said handle and sup ported on the car body independently of the truck and wheel and extending transversely of the axis of the car wheel and having afork embracing the car wheel.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

IVALTER B. SMITH. IVILLIAM M. HALWIMONS. JOHN B. MULLENS. 

